Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

The Japanese government said Friday that the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has achieved a stable state of cold shutdown, after about nine months of efforts to bring the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl under control.

The melted fuel inside the stricken Nos. 1 to 3 reactors is currently believed to be cooling stably.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. is expected to move on to the next stage of maintaining the safety of the plant and at the same time making preparations toward scrapping the reactors.